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     The Second Letter to the Corinthians has been called by some the Gospel of Suffering and Comfort. Paul knew that one of God’s gifts to his people is comfort and healing. He knew this from the Prophet Isaiah, who speaks of this in chapter 40. He also knows this through his relationship with Jesus Christ. For that reason, a basic duty for each Christian is to offer comfort to the sorrowful and suffering. But whose comfort do we offer, ours or God’s?

     Paul writes to the Corinthians “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2Cor 1:3-4)

     Paul teaches that the comfort and consolation he gives is the same that he had received from Jesus. In effect, we become instruments of God’s comfort and consolation in the world. When a Christian comforts the sick, the grieving, and the despondent, he gives something that is not his own. He offers hope, companionship and solidarity with Jesus Christ.

    When we are in a situation where we have the privilege to offer consolation and comfort, let us pray that we use the power that he gives us to heal souls, not from our own authority, but by the authority of Jesus Christ, who teaches us to generously give the very peace and comfort that we need for ourselves.

Please pray for all priests and seminarians and support Sacred Heart Radio.

     What is to be our true focus in this world, God or ourselves? The answer to the person with faith seems simple in theory, but is a little more difficult in practice. For many of us, the focus is on ourselves. The culture tells us to take care of ourselves first. All that others deserve are our leftovers. Self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment are the true goals for many people.

     St. Paul presents things differently in the Letter to the Romans: “None of us lives for himself and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:7-8)

     These words from St. Paul remind us that we will only find true joy in our lives if we are focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to live as Christians by being focused on the needs of others and not just sharing from our surplus, but from our own needs. Because all things were created by the Word, we can come to truly know ourselves only by entrusting ourselves to the Word made flesh. By becoming imitators of Christ, we can learn that life is not about self-satisfaction, but self-sacrifice. We can also discover that self-fulfillment for the Christian can only be self-emptying love.

     St. Paul looked to the Lord to know how to live his own life. May we look to the Lord every day, so that we can learn how to live our own lives.

PLease pray for all priests and seminarians and support Sacred Heart Radio.

     Many of you who are in the SHR database should soon be receiving the Newsletter. It is very colorful and has lots of information, especially about the Cardinal Foley dinner and the TLM on the Feast of the Sacred Heart which drew around 450 people.

    I suggested that we need to offer the listeners a concrete way to help them pray for the radio station as well as help them with their own spiritual lives. So, we came up with the SHR Prayer League and the SHR Prayer Kit.

    Members who ask for the prayer kit are asked to say the SHR prayer and one decade of the rosary every day for the spiritual and financial needs of Sacred Heart Radio. The kit contains the following items:

    a. A Blessed Sacred Heart Radio rosary in red, yellow, white and black with a medal of the Sacred Heart attached. The purpose of this rosary is to help people say their “decade a day” and to help them meditate on Jesus’ life. These bead and cord rosaries are VERY STURDY.

     b. A Sacred Heart Radio prayer card. This is a prayer card, generously provided by the ladies at the CATHOLIC PEDDLER, which specifically asks God’s blessings on the radio station.

     c. A Sacred Heart badge. This is a sacramental that you can keep in your wallet or purse or car visor to remind you of God’s love for you in his Sacred Heart. It can also serve as an evangelization if other people notice it.

     d. Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. Pope Leo XIII recommended that we recite this prayer every day, to help us in our spiritual battles. It would serve as a good reminder for the SHR radio listener that God is always present through his angels to help them overcome temptations.

     e. The Memorare. This prayer of petition to the Blessed virgin Mary reminds the SHR listener that the Mother of God is our spiritual mother who is there to help us in times of need. Some people, including the late Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, swear by the “911 Prayer” which consists of the Memorare said nine consecutive times to Mary’s quick intercession.

   It is hoped that this prayer kit will help people to be more focused in their daily prayers. It will help their own personal spiritual lives to grow, and also help the growth of Sacred Heart Radio.

    We currently have about 230 prayer kits ready to go, with more coming soon. You can either call the Radio Station at 731-7740, or soon there will be a spot to click on at the website www.sacredheartradio.com

     Many people seem to think that religious devotion is something out of date. They could not be more wrong. Some think that they need to “reinvent” devotion and ritual through nifty things like a “blessing and washing of hands.” It is sort of like those “innovators” who got rid of the foot washing on Holy Thursday, and replaced it with hand-washing, not realizing that Pontius Pilate washed his hands to symbolize he was not responsible for the death of Jesus, which is something we cannot claim as Catholics. It takes more than a washing of hands to cleanse us of his death; its takes Baptism. I guess the “Purel” people might be behind this and they may want to turn hand sanitizers into a “sacramental.”

     It is clear from everything we believe that the Celebration of the Mass is the most important action for the Catholic. It is the “source and summit.” Mass, however, usually lasts between 45 minutes to an hour. How are we supposed to be mindful of God for the other 23 hours? The answer to this is religious devotion. To use an analogy of a sandwich, (I am writing this after lunch)  devotion is like the bread while the Mass is the meat. Devotion serves a two-fold purpose: to prolong the sacramental mysteries that we have just celebrated, and to prepare us to celebrate them when we return to Church.

    The practice of devotion to the Mother of God and the Saints, or to the Reserved Holy Eucharist, or to some aspect of Christ’s life serves to keep God present in our hearts and minds over the course of the day. Religious devotion has been an important part of the spiritual life since the beginning of the Church. It is how we are, as St. Paul says, to “pray always.”

    Religious devotion also helps us to focus more clearly on the reception of the Holy Eucharist. Several parishes, to cut down on the chatter before Mass so that people can actually pray, have begun the recitation of the Rosary about 30 minutes or so before Mass. Many who come early have commented that the prayer before Mass has actually helped them to be more spiritually present to readings and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

     One of the most difficult things busy people face daily is how do I stay focused on Christ? How can I attach my heart to Christ’s heart throughout the course of the day? The answer is religious devotion. It may be a simple prayer or a decade of the rosary or a quiet reflection on a short Gospel passage. In any case, we are making sure that we have sufficient spiritual life support to get through the challenges of the day.

      I recommend that we take the example of our parents and grandparents. The majority of them had their prayer book, in which they kept their little prayer cards and petitions. I think it is safe to say that Many Catholics today do not so this. If we want to improve our prayer life and rally live a life of devotion, these books would definitely help.

    If any of you have a specific prayer book you find helpful, please do not hesitate to add it to the comments.

     I usually cause enough trouble in the theological realm to avoid the political one, but this latest but of idiocy needs to be stopped. I saw a tape of Nancy Pelosi yesterday from Meet the Press in which she said that the Catholic Church has been questioning the abortion issue for 50 years, and then went on to imply that since St. Augustine did not know when the infusion of the soul occurred into the child, that he would be for abortion up to the time of the infusion of the soul.

     Whenever the US Bishops hear someone say something about immigration or healthcare or the death penalty that they don’t like, they do not hesitate to speak out. To my knowledge, no one has spoken out yet to condemn her statements on abortion. It is just hanging out there, the statements of an “arm chair theologian” whose knowledge probably comes from a cocktail with one of her friends, most probably a member of the clergy who thinks it is better to be accepted at the “adults table” than to tell these people the truth and to help them recognize the danger their salvation is at risk.

     It seems to me that many people find it more comfortable defining themselves by their political party rather than their religious faith. They also want to align themselves with people in power. One of the things that has always weakened the authority of the Church for some is that priests and bishops, like everyone else, want to be liked and accepted. We also like to be around powerful people and have influential friends. We don’t want to be seen as “backward or fanatical.” In order to accomplish these things, we face the temptation to sell out our principles and if neccesary our religious faith (in the name of theological nuancing) in order to be accepted with the relevant and powerful and famous . I have seen many interviews of celebrities and politicians who hold divergent views on the Catholic faith and claim that these are acceptable because their priest, who is a “personal friend,” tells them it is okay. Others try to coyly avoid the issues so that they don’t have to take a stand.

     I guess that for clergy, the number one temptation today is the temptation to be popular and be seen as relevant. As this political season continues to heat up, I am sure that there will be many other candidates for the Pontius Pilate award (Those who sacrifice the truth for popularity or expediency). If we give up the truth, we give up Jesus Christ. And if we give up Jesus Christ, we have given up everything.

     St. Paul knows that human beings frequently struggle with things. We struggle between who we are and who we want to be. We struggle between what we really need and what we desire. We struggle between the right thing and the easy thing to do. Paul gives the Ephesians important advice in the spiritual life when he writes “we are not contending between flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers . . . against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)

     Our real enemies are not the ones we can see, but rather the ones we cannot see. In other words, are true enemies are spiritual realities. Paul echoes words that will be said by Jesus himself in the Gospels, “Do not fear those who can destroy the body, but those who can destroy the body and the soul.” (Mt 10:28)

     These spiritual realities camouflage themselves as good things that can become traps. People may say flattering things about us, but pretty soon we do things not because they are good, but because we receive flattery. We take pleasure in legitimate things, but soon that is the only thing we are thinking about. We can let our anger get out of control and cease to see good things, but only the bad. C.S. Lewis describes these principalities and powers that Paul speaks of in his spiritual classic, The Screwtape Letters.

      It is clear to St, Paul that the devil has largely given up the frontal attack in favor of one that is more deceptive. He prefers to work on our spiritual attitudes and weaknesses discreetly, slowly bending our souls to his will. May the Lord help us to be vigilant to the presence of these daily spiritual attacks on our souls. May we daily invoke St. Michael the Archangel to help us overcome the powers that seek to destroy us.

Please pray for all priests and seminarians and support Sacred Heart Radio

     What is it that motivates our actions? Is it the potential for recognition, or wealth? It is from a sense of generosity, guilt or fear? All of these things can serve as an impetus to do something good. St. Paul states that in his relationship with Christ and others, the motivating force for him is love. He writes to the Corinthians in his Second Letter: “For the love of Christ impels us becuase we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2Cor 5:14-15)

     Christ’s motivation, doing all for the love of the Father is taken over by Paul who does all for the love of Christ. From his knowledge of the Lord, Paul clearly sees that people make no progress in real happiness by living only for themselves. Something like living for oneself alone can end only in emptiness and pain. The true reason for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that happiness comes from sharing the reason for our happiness with others. That kind of happiness is gained by focusing more on others than on ourselves.

     Often times we are moved acts of kindness or charity by guilt or fear, or even the hope of someone being grateful to us, but none of these give us a lasting reward. The only way we can receive a lasting reward is by doing acts of kindness out of our love of God and neighbor, expecting nothing in return. Our happiness comes from sharing our gift. We need to do nothing else. What greater joy can we experience than by telling someone that the love of Jesus Christ for us even unto death has opened the possiblity of goodness, peace and a new life of meaning? May the Lord give us the heart of St. Paul, so that our sole motivating reason fror our every action is the love of Christ, and not from what we may receive.

Please pray for all priests and seminarians and support Sacred Heart Radio.

     If the path to salvation is not through the Law, but through Jesus Christ, how is Jesus imprinted in us so that we may follow him? The answer Paul provides in Romans 8 is the Holy Spirit. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of Sonship. When we say ‘Abba ! Father!’ it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him.” (Rom 8: 14-17)

     The gift of the Holy Spirit is what enables us to live a life with Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to grow in holiness and turn away from sin. The Holy Spirit fills the believer with filial boldness, which helps us to cry out ‘Abba, Father!’ The person is no longer only a creature, but a child of God, and with that filial adoption comes all the rights that flow from divine sonship. Our inheritance is the sacramental life of the Church. We see fellow believers not as strangers, but as family. We see this world as a preparation for the world to come, and as God’s children, we are obliged to work that the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This work consists of service to others, prayer, sacrifices and love that flows from a profound joy that God has condescended to call us his children.

     The Holy Spirit forms Jesus Christ in our hearts that we might manifest Christ through our words and actions. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus has reached us and put us on the path to the Father. We are no longer lost or lacking direction. We have a goal and with the grace of God, we also have the means to achieve it. The response from the heart of Paul is one of praise and thanksgiving for God’s goodness. May it come to be the response of our hearts as well.

     One of the central disagreements between Paul and the other Jews regarded the meaning of the Jewish Law. Both saw the Law itself as good and useful. It reveals sin to them and presents them with the right path to serve God.  While the Jews believed that salvation comes through the Law, Paul comes to a diferent conclusion. The Law serves only as rules. It does not make believers follow it. They have to choose to follow it themselves. It does not effect salvation for the person. It is rather a means given by God to work in the world until the arrival of the Messiah. Paul believes that when the Word became flesh in Jesus Christ, the Law itself has been fulfilled and even surpassed.

     He writes to the Romans: “For God has done what the Law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh in order that the first requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:34)

     Simply put, the Law does not save us. Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection saves us. This means that our faith is placed in Jesus Christ and not in the Law. It does not mean that the Law is insignficant, but rather that God has given us the Someone greater than the Law; in effect, the Law-Giver who through the power of the Holy Spirit makes us holy and helps us live a virtuous life.

     While the Law was given to the Jews to show God’s plan for them, they compromised on it and made it ineffective. Jesus Christ gives us the Law of God from his own lips, so that we might attain the goal that the Father has planned for his children. That is why St. Paul makes it clear that the way to salvation is through Jesus Christ, who shows us the fulfillment of the Law in his self-emptying love to the Father for the salvation of the world.

     What does Baptism mean for St. Paul? He clearly writes that when one comes to faith in Jesus Christ, his faith is sealed in the Sacrament of Baptism. Paul gives a simple explanation in the Letter to the Romans: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? We were buried with him in Baptism by his death so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Rom 6:3-5)

     For St. Paul, the answer for sin and death is faith in Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit given to the person in Baptism, he becomes a partaker in the divine naure and a son of God. Baptism constitutes our real death to the world, which destroys all that separates us from the love of God. It also makes us sharers in Christ’s resurrection so that now we live in the law of God’s grace, love and mercy. Baptism bestows on the person the hope that all of the person’s potential for holiness is unlocked and made possible to be ultimately lived out.

     Baptism is our spiritual birthday. Now REAL live begins. REAL life is life with God. REAL life is life in Christ. REAL life is formed and brought to fulfillment by the Holy Spirit.

Please pray for all priests and seminarians and support Sacred Heart Radio.